Process for producing bisphenols

Abstract

Bisphenols substantially free of by-products, are produced rapidly by reacting a phenol and a compound of the formulae: ##STR1## wherein R and R' are hydrogen, lower alkyl or aryl; X is lower alkoxy or the same as X'; Y is chlorine or the same as X; X' is aryloxy; Z is a 1,2- or 1,3-propylenedioxy (that may optionally carry hydroxy, lower alkyl or lower hydroxyalkyl substituents), or arylenedioxy radical; n is integer from three to nine; m is (n-1).

We claim: 
     
       1. A process for the production of bisphenols which comprises reacting a phenol having a reactive hydrogen para to the phenolic hydroxyl and a compound of the formula ##STR12## wherein R and R' are hydrogen, lower alkyl or aryl; X is lower alkoxy or the same as X'; Y is chlorine or the same as X; X' is aryloxy; n is integer from three to nine; m is (n-1), or a mixture of such compounds, in the presence of an acidic condensing agent. 
     
     
       2. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein phenol is reacted with isopropenyl phenyl ether to produce bisphenol-A. 
     
     
       3. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the temperature of reaction is maintained in the range of from about 20° C. to about 65° C. 
     
     
       4. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the acidic condensing agent is hydrogen chloride. 
     
     
       5. A process as defined in claim 1 which also includes the steps of separating the bisphenol-phenol adduct in solid form and washing the solid product with methylene chloride until substantially free of by-products. 
     
     
       6. A process for the production of bisphenol-A which comprises reacting phenol and isopropenyl phenyl ether in the presence of hydrogen chloride at a temperature of from about 30° to about 50° C. 
     
     
       7. A process as defined in claim 6 which further includes separating the bisphenol-A in solid form as its adduct with phenol from the reaction mixture and washing the solid product with methylene chloride until substantially free of byproducts.